When Annie Beaumel joined the Hermès Faubourg Saint-Honoré store in Paris in 1926, the former glove saleswoman instantly showed an unrivalled talent as a window dresser
When Annie Beaumel joined the Hermès Faubourg Saint-Honoré store in Paris in 1926, the former glove saleswoman instantly showed an unrivalled talent as a window dresser. She had a gift for bringing items to life while emphasising their elegance and sophistication, using formidable decorative and storytelling skills to create a world of enchantment. Beaumel’s protégé, Leïla Menchari upheld Beaumel’s legacy when she retired in 1978. Beaumel said to Menchari, “You are a dreamer. Go and draw dreams for me.” And, that is what artists have been doing ever since. We speak to three artists who have been given this honour in Singapore.
THE ILLUSTRATOR
WU YANRONG
WORK featuring Wu Yanrong created a nautical odyssey called The Big Blue inspired by Jacques Cousteau
“The idea was to create an adventure through the ocean, discovering beautiful creatures as well as treasures from Hermès,” says Singaporean illustrator Wu Yanrong. The RMIT graduate was given carte blanche to express Hermès’ 2016 theme of “Nature at Full Gallop.” When she thought about the power of nature, Wu was instantly transported to the time she swam with a minke whale while on holiday. “To be able to get so close to a giant was such a surreal and humbling experience,” says Wu. “I hoped that the viewers would be able to feel the same emotions when they looked at the windows, and be more appreciative of these majestic creatures.”
Wu was clear on her concept, but since this was her first time working on a boutique window, she had to think about how she could turn her 2D paintings into 3D artworks, while incorporating Hermès products into the display. Here, she turned to Beaumel’s philosophy of paring down the design so it attracted more attention to the store. “Initially, I included more pieces in the work,” says Wu, “But eventually, we decided to focus on one hero per window and keep it simple yet grand.”
The Big Blue window took around a year to create and, throughout that time, Wu constantly edited her designs. “The pieces I created for Hermès are abstract, so each stroke is vital to forming the final image. There was a lot of figuring out, for example, ‘What makes a penguin?’ Or, ‘Will leaving a certain body part out make it less of a whale?’” says Wu. Her efforts were more than worth it—The Big Blue is set to become one of the most memorable Hermès windows. “I feel really honoured and grateful to have been invited to take part [in this project],” says Wu. “And it is so kind of Hermès to support emerging artists in Singapore.”
THE ARTIST
ADELINE KUEH
In 2016, artist Adeline Kueh teamed up with architectural firm AK+ to create two showstopping windows for Hermès, which took inspiration from nature
“Creating a window for Hermès has been on my bucket list for a long time,” says Lasalle lecturer and artist Adeline Kueh. And in 2016, Kueh was given the chance to create not one window, but two.
Collaborating with architectural firm AK+, Kueh put a local twist to the Hermès 2016 theme of “Nature at Full Gallop.” For her first window Loco Local, she played with the idea of second nature, using humble materials from everyday life like rattan, sapu lidi and coconut husks. Silhouetted animals of this region such as tapirs, porcupines and jungle cats were also embedded in the forest scenes. In Summer Forever, the Malaysian artist drew inspiration from traditional batik motifs like clouds, blossoms and creatures.
“We are often told that in the tropics, there are no seasons, and it is always summer,” says Kueh. However, like the ephemeral clouds reflected in the batik, she wanted to highlight that summer too needs to be savoured, like the luxuriousness of Hermès.
Creating the first window for Hermès was a nerve-wracking process, says Kueh. “I learnt that I needed to dig deep within myself. Like any relationship, you really have to listen and understand each other’s needs and realities. It has been a wonderful learning curve for me.”
A second window for the brand soon followed. “My intention is to see how I can stretch my head in a more design-oriented way and grow as a person,” says Kueh. “I get to practise what I preach to my postgraduate students: That the disciplines in contemporary art, design and media are increasingly sans frontiers, so we push our own boundaries and limits to see how we can practise the best way we can.”
THE DESIGNER
JOSHUA COMAROFF
Joshua Comaroff of Lekker has taken visitors on a magical adventure through Hermès windows from 2012 to 2015
You can never have too much of a good thing, which is why Hermès invited designer Joshua Comaroff to design a series of windows for them from 2012 to 2015. “Each year, there is an annual Hermès theme, which is usually quite an abstract concept that can be interpreted in many ways. We tried to never take the themes too literally, because this would lead to the windows being predictable,” says Comaroff. “So with the theme of ‘Sporting Life’ for example, we imagined a landscape made of shuttlecocks.”
Comaroff says he also wanted to use the windows to communicate Hermès’ love of whimsy and surprise. “There is a very special aesthetic feeling when our minds are hit with a mix of humour and beauty, between a laugh and a swoon. We’ve felt this, and we hope that our viewers have, too,” he explains.
Lekker had previously worked with Hermès on an event set-up, but when the team was offered a window, they felt as if they were really being put to the test. “We really valued their vision, which we found very daring. It was also certainly a bit intimidating, given our high respect for the tradition of the Hermès window. We spent a lot of time wondering if we could actually pull it off!” says Comaroff. But Hermès could not have been more thrilled with the results. “For the shuttlecock windows, I remember Pascale Mussard, creative director of petit h, was visiting Singapore; and she said that they were “very Hermès.” For us, this was a wonderful compliment,” says Comaroff.
During their time creating the windows, the Lekker team also had the chance to develop new skills, from book-making and creating optical illusions, to working out how to tie shuttlecocks together. “We believe the Hermès window challenges designers more than other brands. There is a unique emphasis on storytelling. It is quite easy to make a play of colour, or shape, or just to create strange juxtapositions, but telling a story adds a whole new level of challenge,” says Comaroff. “We think of many of our windows series [for Hermès] as a children’s book, without words. To us, this is the magic that truly differentiates the brand.”
